Spice brand Everest refuted reports that its products have been banned in Singapore and Hong Kong after food regulators in Hong Kong and Singapore reportedly red-flagged a cancer-causing ingredient in certain products of two popular Indian spice brands - MDH and Everest.
"Everest is not banned in either country," the company's spokesperson said, further clarifying, "Singapore's food safety authority referred to Hong Kong's recall alert and asked our Singapore importer to recall and temporarily hold the product for further inspection."
The company said that just one of its range of 60 products has been held for examination and assured consumers that its products are "safe and of high quality".
Food regulators in Hong Kong and Singapore have warned against using four products from two Indian spice brands - MDH and Everest - over the alleged presence of ethylene oxide at "levels exceeding the permissible limit".
Ethylene oxide is classified as a 'Group 1 carcinogen' by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
MDH's three products - Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Masala, and Curry Powder - along with Everest's Fish Curry Masala contain "a pesticide, ethylene oxide", Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety (CFS) said on April 5. The regulator instructed vendors "to stop the sale and remove from shelves the affected products".
Meanwhile, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) ordered a recall of Everest's Fish Curry Masala due to the presence of ethylene oxide at levels "exceeding the permissible limit". The SFA posted a release on its website on April 18, saying it "has directed the importer, Sp Muthiah & Sons Pte. Ltd., to recall the products".
Earlier in the day, the Indian government ordered food commissioners to collect samples of spices from all the manufacturing units in India, sources said
"All the food commissioners of the country have been alerted. The process of collecting samples of spices has started. The order has been given. In three to four days, samples will be collected from all the spice manufacturing units of the country," top government sources said.
"Not just MDH and Everest, samples will be taken from all the spice manufacturing companies. The report will come from the lab in about 20 days," they added.
"Strict action will be taken if harmful substances are found in the Indian spices. There is a provision for criminal proceedings also," the sources said.
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